Community Food Network

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

Yesterday, Senate Bill (SB) 139 was passed by the State Senate Education Committee. As described in the Gongwer Michigan Report for March 10, 2015:

“A bill that would ensure school groups could sell food products during school hours to raise money even if those foods are out of compliance with federal nutritional requirements won approval Tuesday from the
Senate Education Committee.
SB (Senate Bill) 139 would allow at least three such sales per week.”

The bill now goes before the full State Senate. If the bill passes there, the next step in the legislative process is referral to the House Education Committee.

If individuals or organizations have views on this issue, they may wish to share those views with state legislators at this time. The bill appears to be moving quickly.

Thanks Colleen!

Jean Doss

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ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THIS ISSUE:

The federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (otherwise known as the Child Nutrition Reauthorization)
included “Smart Snacks In School” nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold in school during the school day,
including through school fundraisers. These standards went into effect this school year (2014/2015).

Description: Join Adam Montri and Erin Caudell to talk about hoophouse site selection and construction. Topics will include how to choose a good site, pre-construction soil preparation, choosing from various hoophouse options and
construction recommendations.

This webinar is intended for those that are new to hoophouses and are interested in or planning to purchase one in the future. There will be opportunities to ask questions related to both site selection and construction.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

As you know the Community Food Network no longer has a coordinator! Billie Patterson has been directed elsewhere as she serves her 2nd year as AmeriCorps VISTA at United Way Montcalm-Ionia Counties. Billie is available to assist you with questions, but not able to act as coordinator for this group. Penny Beeman has left the world of nonprofits with another job taking her out of the county 50+ hours each week. Penny is also available to assist with questions on a limited schedule. The best way to reach either of these past coordinators is via email to iccfoodnetwork@gmail.com as both people continue to monitor the email and one of us will respond to you as soon as we are able.

Committees

Gardens & Pantry Committee:

Many gardens and pantries continued to serve their community in 2014 despite the limited coordination with the Community Food Network.

We do not have any meetings set up for 2015, and without a volunteer coordinator, monthly meetings are next to impossible. However if others are interested in participating a semi-annual meeting might be possible. Please let us know if you are interested in a Spring Meeting!

Awareness & Resource Committee:

The website at IoniaHost.com is no longer active, please remove any links you may have from other websites.

The Community Food Network Blog Site is updated with new pages to register your 2015 Community Garden and your Plant A Row Garden.

The Community Food Network Facebook Group is also active and may be the best place to post questions about gardening for group members to share their knowledge.

Educational Committee:

The Ionia County ISD has the Outdoor Learning Lab available at H.O. Steele Education Center if you need an outdoor space to teach garden lessons or hold other outdoor activities. Contact Deb Wagner at dawagner@ioniaisd.org if you would like to use this space.

The Community Food Network is on many state email lists, receiving emails daily. When information about a conference or other educational opportunity becomes available, info will be posted the CFN Blog.

Resources Available

United Way Montcalm-Ionia Counties does still have some hand tools available for new gardens or to replace broken tools at existing gardens. Please contact iccfoodnetwork@gmail.com to request these.

MSU Extension also has some supplies in the storage shed. We need a volunteer to go out to the shed and inventory what is there so we can make it available to gardens.

The Do-It-Center of Ionia has again donated a bag full of seeds for local community gardens. If you would like to pick up some seeds, please contact Penny for details.

If your garden or pantry is hosting a special event this year, please email pictures, flyers, and info to iccfoodnetwork@gmail.com and we will get them uploaded to the blog as quickly as possible. Thank you for being a part of the Community Food Network!

Monday, June 2, 2014

We are pleased to announce the roll out ofCooking from the Pantry. Many families find it challenging to create healthy meals on a tight budget. This cookbook is intended to help people make the most out of foods that can be found at a local food pantry. These recipes and food tips have been compiled with help from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Mid-Michigan District Health Department, and MSU Extension. The Cooking from the Pantry Cookbook was produced by the Capital Area Health Alliance through the Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Grant as well as the generous printing donation of ASAP.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Danielle Fleury, Farm to School Lead in the USDA Food and Nutrition Service's Northeast Regional Office Emily Jackson, Founder and current Director of the Growing Minds Farm to School program of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Brad Pillen, CitySprouts Garden EducatorMeg Giuliano, CitySprouts Garden Educator

Summertime presents both unique challenges and important opportunities when it comes to school gardens. Who takes care of the garden when school is out? How can the school garden be connected to summer learning and healthy food access opportunities?

In our community's next webinar, Mary Stein, Associate Director of the National Farm to School Network, hosts two partners from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and the USDA-FNS for a discussion of various aspects of school gardens in summer. You will hear examples ofhow school gardens across the country are connecting to important summer feeding program sites and other out-of-school educational opportunities.

Then, learn about how Cooperative Extension, Master Gardeners, YMCAs, universities, parent coalitions and more can connect your school garden to the community during the summer break. Join us on May 28th for ideas and steps to take to connect with community partners to make the most of your school garden during the summer months.

Middle schoolers can get a lot out of the school garden experience, from growing food to learning about the science underlying the natural world. At CitySprouts summer youth program in Cambridge, MA, 100 young people ages 11-13 go through a month-long summer internship program at various schoolyard garden locations.

Middle school interns learn garden skills and how to care for their school garden - planting, weeding, watering and harvesting food for lunch. They go on field trips to hunger-relief organizations, grocery stores, and farms outside the city to get a bigger picture of their local food system. They also learn about the interdependent relationships that exist among parts of an ecosystem as they explore the compost, the garden soil and water catchment systems in the school garden.

In this webinar Brad Pillen and Meg Giuliano, two CitySprouts Garden Educators, will present about using school gardens in the summertime. They will share with us how CitySprouts connects and engages 6th-8th graders with STEM core ideas and food systems through their Out-of-School Time Service Learning Curriculum that connects to the new Next Generation-aligned standards for 6th grade ecosystems. Join Brad and Meg to learn more about summer garden programs for middle school youth.

School gardens are a growing initiative to help children understand where their food comes from and how their food choices impact their bodies, the environment, and their communities at large.

A school garden can have an impact on the entire life and educational program of school and the surrounding community. Gardening activities can be incorporated into nearly every curriculum subject to enhance the appreciation of the natural world, and to provide hands-on learning activities for students.

As a member of the community, you'll receive...

Invitations to free webinars and live chats.

A CE certificate for attending/viewing our webinars.

Access to all of the recorded webinars, presentations, resources, and online discussions.

This online learning community is a place for educators, gardeners, parents, and community volunteers to come together to share information and resources on how to start and maintain a school garden, and integrate it into the curriculum and the life of a school.

Friday, May 23, 2014

Feel free to come to the meeting early and help with planting in the raised beds:)

Community Food Network Meeting

Date and Time: Tues. May 27, 2014 at 3:30pm

Location: H.O. Steele Education Center

North 66 between 57 & 44 (10260 S Sheridan Rd., Fenwick, MI 48834)

Committees

Gardens & Pantry Committee:

Needs still unmet?

Other updates?

Awareness & Resource Committee:

Plant A Row Outreach Plan--This is ongoing

Sheridan Family Health Fair Thurs, June 26, 2014 2-5pm at the Sheridan Community Center. Billie will have a table set up with United Way so will be on hand for CFN. Anyone else interested in setting up table just for CFN stuff? There is no cost.

Billie working on getting to all the food pantries with the farmer’s market materials. Some places have been given the print outs. This will be done by the end of next week. Anyone like to help distribute?

Educational Committee:

Outdoor Learning Lab soon to be set up at H.O. Steele Education center.

The next meeting will be the on June 24 at 3:30 pm at the H.O. Steele Education Center

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Grant Opportunity

USDA-AMS-LFPP-2014 2014 Local Food Promotion Program Grants Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing ServiceThe Local Food Promotion Program is a component of the Farmers Marketing and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP), authorized by the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1946. Under FMLFPP, two completive grant programs are available: the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP). LFPP offers grant funds with a 25% match to support the development and expansion of local and regional food business enterprises to increase domestic consumption of, and access to, locally and regionally produced agricultural products, and to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets. Two types of project applications are accepted under LFPP—planning grants and implementation grants. Applicants can apply for either but will receive only one type of grant in the same grant cycle. LFPP Planning Grants are used in the planning stages of establishing or expanding a local and regional food business enterprise. Activities can include but are not limited to market research, feasibility studies, and business planning. A minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $25,000 will be awarded for any one proposal, and the grants must be completed within a 12 month period; extension will not exceed an additional 6 months. LFPP Implementation Grants are used to establish a new local and regional food business enterprise, or to improve or expand an existing local or regional food business enterprise. Activities can include but are not limited to training and technical assistance for the business enterprise and/or for producers working with the business enterprise; outreach and marketing to buyers and consumers; working capital; and non-construction infrastructure improvements to business enterprise facilities or information technology systems. A minimum of $25,000 and a maximum of $100,000 will be awarded for any one proposal, and the grants must be completed within a 24 month grant period; extension will not exceed an additional 6 months.